Govt denies Lamu terror attacks

Reports of an attack on a bus by Al Shabaab militants are false, Inspector General (IG) of Police Joseph Boinett has said.

It was widely reported Wednesday that heavily-armed militants on Tuesday evening attacked a convoy of passenger buses and their army escorts in Lamu along the Coast.

The attack was reported to have taken place near Mpeketoni, which has seen previous raids and massacres carried out by the Al Shabaab militia.

There were, however, no reports of casualties. But in a rejoinder, the IG stated that all reports of the attack were false and that in actual terms, no attack took place.

“The reported attack on bus convoy in Lamu is all false. On the contrary the enemy has suffered serious setbacks in the last 12 hours,” he said.

The statement, however, contradicted those of witnesses who claimed they saw the attack take place.

“They used grenades and heavy guns. We came under intense attack. The bus was sprayed with bullets but it is a miracle nobody was hurt,” an eyewitness, who sought anonymity, told the press.

The report comes just a day after 14 people died in an Al Shabaab attack on a village in Mandera, northern Kenya.

The government has stated that the country is on high alert as it looks to prevent future attacks.